Soccer players are known as some of the fittest athletes in the world, but when the 32 best countries get together to face off in Brazil for the World Cup, they will be tested. The majority of players play in cooler, less humid places around the world compared to Brazil, so it could be a big change.
Dehydration is definitely something that people will have to watch for during the World Cup. A lot of teams have spent the last few months conditioning their top players for Brazil. However, technically only the Brazilian team will know exactly how it feels to play multiple games in the tropical setting.
Those familiar with soccer and playing in one day fantasy sports already know about the impact weather can make in the top European Leagues. Most of the time, the adverse weather conditions over there include rain, sleet and snow. Rarely is it so hot and humid that players are left gasping for air.
Thanks to a lot of technology and knowledge about dehydration in general, teams are doing a very good job of preparing as much as possible. They are strategically taking water breaks, training in similar weather and more. Just one example is England’s preparation in Miami, Florida for the tournament.
With all that being said, experts, oddsmakers and everyone else who follows the sport still believes that the South American teams, and specifically Brazil, are going to have the edge. That seems to always be the case in the World Cup in general, but if it really heats up, they could have an edge specifically on the European powers. After all, there is no real way to prepare for the actual matches with all the emotion that goes with it in a hostile, tropical setting.
